From what he found, Murlocs weren’t particularly impressive, a depiction was drawn on a page next to their description. They looked like an overgrown frog, the size of a sheep. They were clearly amphibian from the texture of their skin. A dorsal fin was growing on their back with several spines at regular intervals, similarly smaller spine fins grew on the side of their arms. However, they were still predators, their canines were pronounced, and their hands was ending with claws instead of nails. One of the drawings was holding a crude lance, nothing more than a stick with a sharpened bone, added for the spear.

According to the description, they were a common specie of monster in the region. They lived never too far away from the water and liked to kill their prey by outnumbering them. Each of them was individually weak, even a normal human could defend against one of them, but they were still having minor control over water and they had poison in their saliva. The poison wasn’t enough to kill someone, at most, it would make you lightheaded, but it became troublesome when a patient was exposed to several doses of it. Murlocs were always in a group and one of their most impressive aspects was their reproducing capacity.

Gobéliard had to mount expeditions regularly to cull them since they were spreading in the surroundings out of nowhere even when it was thought that all of them had been exterminated. After several unsuccessful exterminations, the local powers had resigned themselves to live with them and only acted when their numbers grew too much. They were a nuisance for the city but not a real danger.

In the few days before the expedition, Edward hadn’t had the occasion to practice his telepathy again with Charles’s group of adventurers. However, he had made some progress with what he decided to call overwatch meditation. He wouldn’t bet his life on it yet, but he was confident that he could rest for several hours in this state while being aware of anything coming close to him.

On the due day, Cornelius came to fetch him personally to bring him to the docks where all the big families were already gathered in great pomp, making a show in front of the populace. The families were easily recognizable, each flashing their symbol, a sword on a red background for the Vega family, a golden crown on purple for the Regalia family, and a giant squid on a blue background for the Potentia family. Each member had the symbol painted on their armor or embroided in their tunic. On top of that, each family had even its own boat, with their coat of arms displayed visibly on the sail. They were just like peacocks, each trying to show off more than their neighbor. Behind those vessels a bit further away, another boat was displaying the blazon of the city, a sea conch on a yellow and blue background, as if the sun was shining on the sea.

Since none of the families could trust each other, it had been decided that Edward would board the city’s vessel. Of course, he would be supervised closely by guards from the three families. It was the first time that he would be outside the city since the families got hold of him, and they were conscious that he could attempt to use this opportunity to escape. However, they weren’t that worried since they had total control of the area, and Edward wouldn’t be able to go far away by himself.

Before the departure of the expedition, the families made a speech in front of the onlookers watching this spectacle. Each family had chosen a spokesperson and they spoke one after the other. Although they came from a different family, their discourse was more or less the same. They emphasize their role as protector of the city, according to them this was a grandiose undertaking to vanquish the vermin threatening the bustling city of Gobéliard.

While there was some truth to it, the city was indeed safe due to the large numbers of awakens from the families and due to their family heads who were at the predator level, the rest of the speech was just for show. This expedition had nothing grandiose and was only proof that they weren’t able to get rid of the Murlocs for good. Moreover, they were acting only because the monsters’ number was growing big enough to threaten their trade route. They certainly didn’t care if a lonesome fisherman got eaten by Murlocs while navigating a bit too far from the city.

This kind of speech remains me of the foreman telling us that we had to work harder to participate in the expansion of our great company. Though it’s not like the company having better or worse results changed anything for us. They are only praising themselves without really caring about the consequences for the other.

Once the speech was over, the families embarked on their vessels under the applause of the crowd. Meanwhile, Cornelius left him to go back to the city hall, he wasn’t an adventurer and he wouldn’t participate in this expedition. The strollers were happy to get a good show, and culling the Murlocs was something needed, so the atmosphere was joyous. Those kinds of expeditions were improving the public image of the clans managing Gobéliard. They were seen as guardians of the city instead of masters who jealousy kept their control on any part of Gobéliard and disposed of anyone who could threaten it.

Edward joined the city’s vessel under the careful watch of his imposed bodyguards. The sea was calm with a slow wind and small waves, the sun was shining brightly and the sailors couldn’t be happier. In a short time, everybody was onboard and the vessels maneuvered to leave the harbor under the shrill cries of birds, not unlike seagulls.

Once the vessels left the city, Edward was left on his own with sailors running around him to help the boat maneuver, only his bodyguards were keeping an eye on him. However, he noticed that there were also guards wearing the city crest stationed on the deck. He walked close to one to get more information about the expedition. Cornelius hadn’t given him additional information, and the families hadn’t contacted him either.

I feel like I’m being ignored. I was allowed on this expedition because I traded a rune, but I am kept as a dead weight, one that has to be closely monitored on top of that.

“Hey, could you tell me how this expedition is supposed to proceed?”, Edward asked one of the city guards.

The guard looked at him strangely wondering who wouldn’t know about that while participating in the said expedition. “We are going to patrol alongside the main trades route, stopping at each island where Murlocs have been spotted. Which means almost every island, those pests are everywhere.” He stopped to swear before carrying on. “Truth be told, our vessel isn’t supposed to do anything. We are here just in case something happened to one of their boats and they need us to come back. They will do the killing while we stay behind.”

Edward faced harden. “This vessel is not participating in the extermination of monsters? I paid to participate in this expedition.”

The guard shrugged, “Well, we do have rowboats if you want to land and join in the killing.”

Edward sighted. I’m really treated as nothing more than an afterthought. They will comply with my demands but just barely. They want to force me to trade my runes without giving much in return.

They had to travel for some time before reaching the first island, this gave Edward enough time to familiarize himself whit the ship. I must say it has been ages since the last time I went to the ocean. I’m glad I’m not getting seasick, this would have been awkward. Behold, the proud adventurer and monster slayer, currently throwing up overboard. He shook his head to dismiss the thought.

The boat was having two masts, each with big sails deployed fully to use the wind as much as possible. Edward leaned on one handrail and gaze at the water while the boat was moving onward. This boat was behind the others, with the Regalia’s vessel at the fore of the formation.

Before long the first island was in view, it was nothing impressive, it was almost flat with barely any elevation. It was around a hundred meters long, and thirty meters wide. The island was barren, nothing more than sand, rocks, and Murlocs resting on it.

Dozens of them were staying on the island, seeing the vessels coming closer, they emitted shrill cries and more of them came from the water. This is the first island and there are already that many of them.

The vessels stopped at a distance, turning their flank toward the island. Due to their size, they needed an important draught and couldn’t come too close to the island if they didn’t want to ground themselves on the beach. A rowboat was prepared and dropped to the water level. Edward climbed on it, still accompanied by his bodyguards and by several rowers provided by the ship crew. From the glance of his eyes, he could see the families’ vessels were doing the same thing, except with bigger rowboats.

All the Murlocs are gathered on the beach waiting for us. Are we supposed to fight our way in to reach the beach? I can teleport to it, but I somehow doubt this is the normal method of operation.

Just as Edward was perplexed about how the family would disembark safely on the beach, one of the boats fired something in an outburst of bright light. Actually, the light wasn’t due to an explosion, Edward noticed, but the ship had directly fired a bright light itself, just like a powerful flare. It landed on the beach, a few meters away from the sea. The Murlocs got away from it, protecting their eyes while hissing furiously at the same time.

Well, I guess this is one way to do it.

The families’ vessels being closer, they were the first to reach the beach. Young individuals covered in pretty armor jump from the rowboat while shouting excitedly. Under Edward’s astonished gaze, one of them pointed his sword forward and a bright beam of lightning shot out toward the Murlocs chaining between several of them and burning them to a crisp. The Murlocs that were struck, fell on the ground while smocking, already completely dead.

That guy just laughed while his comrades disembarked and joined him, sending wind and water blades, cutting the Murlocs into pieces before they could even get into reach. By the time Edward reached the beach, most of the Murlocs were already dead.

How I am supposed to absorb their blood and get stronger if the fight is already over by the time I reach it? Edward complained internally. Still, he was impressed by the display of the families’ younglings. It was the first time he was seeing an awaken with the power to yield lightning. This was a powerful ability that would be hard to avoid.

Edward was barely able to kill a few Murlocs, having to teleport to them before the rowboat even landed to avoid having his targets killed by someone else before he could join the fight. It had been more a massacre than a fight, the Murlocs didn’t even have the chance to fight back. He absorbed the blood of the few he had slain, but that didn’t amount to much. The Murlocs’ blood wasn’t potent, their vitality was lacking in the first place since they weren’t strong monsters, and Edward hadn’t killed enough of them to compensate.